2014 Review and 2015 Grow List

[marc_groleau]

I hope every year from here out will be as good as 2014. I raised 49 plants in my home garden and another 23 at a local community garden. I had 43 plants of paste varieties and 29 table varieties. Using only the paste varieties, I made 32 quarts of highly boiled down, thick sauce and gave my brother enough paste tomatoes to do at least the same.



Below is my 2015 grow list.

* indicates varieties that were in the 2014 garden.
Strike thrus aren't coming back at least this year.
I've made comments regarding the repeats. I know the comments aren't extremely descriptive. If you'd like to know more about a certain repeat, just ask.

The stars of 2014 for production and taste were
Speckled Roman, Siltez, Beaver Lodge, Sioux, Cuostralee

Early Varieties:
*Siletz: Quite Early; good production; produces right through the
end .
*Beaver Lodge: Super early; very productive; produces right to the end.
*Small Red Early (real name unknown): Not too early but great producer;
produces right to end.

Purple:
*Cherokee Purple: Everyone knows about this great variety.

Pinks and Reds:
German Johnson: New for 2015
Stump of the World: New for 2015
Georges Altai: New for 2015
Rose DeBurne: New for 2015
Aunt Ginny's Purple: New for 2015
Dester: New for 2015
*Eva Purple Ball: Very Good production; good old fashioned taste.
*Earls Faux: Very Good production; good old fashioned taste.
*Pineapple X Cherokee Purple F3: Good production; good unique taste.
*Cherokee Purple X Pineapple F3: Good production; good unique taste.
*Rutgers: Great Production; good old fashioned taste.
*Akers West Virginia: Good production; good old fashioned taste.
*Omars Lebanese: Good production; good old fashioned taste.
*Neaves Axorean: Good production; good old fashioned taste.
*Prudens Purple: Great production; good old fashioned taste.
*Omars Lebanese: Good production; good old fashioned taste.
*Cuostralee: Good production; fantastic, unique taste.
*Sioux: Fantastic production; good old fashioned taste.
*Porters Pride : Great production; spitter.
*Greek Domata: Good production; good old fashioned taste; have to make
room for new varieties.
*Box Car Willy: Great production; good old fashioned taste; have
to make room for new varieties.

*Dr Lyle: Medium production; taste is just OK.

*St. Lucie: Good production; good old fashioned taste;
have to make room for new varieties.

*St. Teresa: Good production; good old fashioned taste;
have to make room for new varieties.
*Brads Black Heart : Good production; good unique taste; gets over-ripe
too quickly.
　
Green When Ripe:
Aunt Ruby's German Green: New for 2015.

Cherry:
*Black Cherry: Good production; good, unique taste.
Pink Bumblee New for 2015
*Stella Rosa F6: Good production; tastes like an old fashion beefsteak
not like a cherry.
*Luna Rosa F6: Good production; tastes like an old fashion beefsteak
not like a cherry.

Paste:
*Viva Italia Hybrid: Great for Paste. Never fails season after season. No BER.
*Jersey Devil: Good but BER.
*Speckled Roman: Great dual purpose. Best tasting fresh eater!
*San Marzano: Great for Paste No BER.
*Opalka: Good but BER.
Russian Big Roma: Great for Paste No BER.

[LindyAdele]

Thanks for your review! I am happy to hear good things about speckled roman. I am planning to start it soon. What would you say is your favourite in each category?

[marc_groleau]

Cuostralee, for its complex taste, beautiful fruit and beautiful plant is tops.
Speckled Roman is a really unique, sweetish tasting fruit. You'd never guess that kind of taste in a paste tomato.
For Cherries, it's Black Cherry.
For overall production with good taste, it's Sioux.
I've tried a lot of purples. The only one that comes back each year is Cherokee Purple.

[peppero]

Thanks for sharing all the comments and pix. Your comments may influence others in their selections.

jon

[lexusnexus]

Nice looking tomato garden! When I mentioned your quantity of tomato sauces Maria (my partner) rolled her eyes and indicated that won't be happening here. Although, she is looking forward to having some tomatoes to eat and cook with.

Dan

[Gardeneer]

Good grow list, Marc

I am growing 5 of those in your list. But then I am not growing that many varieties anyway.

Have a good season

[marc_groleau]

Originally Posted by lexusnexus

Nice looking tomato garden! When I mentioned your quantity of tomato sauces Maria (my partner) rolled her eyes and indicated that won't be happening here. Although, she is looking forward to having some tomatoes to eat and cook with.

Dan

Yeah it took 2 weekends to get it done. We have a mill so it's a little easier. It's not motorized so there's still a lot of work involved. Then there's the constant stirring and canning process.
We have close to 5' of snow outside right now but I'm still tasting summertime when we open a jar of sauce.

[marc_groleau]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Good grow list, Marc

I am growing 5 of those in your list. But then I am not growing that many varieties anyway.

Have a good season

Which 5 are you growing?

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by marc_groleau

Which 5 are you growing?

siletz ,,,cherokee purple,,,rutgers,,,black cherry ,, box car willie

[bigpinks]

I tried Black Cherry twice but it seems Chocolate Cherry does better in my heavy clay soil. More productive and bigger fruit.

[Labradors2]

Big Pinks, What about the flavor of the two? I've never enjoyed Black Cherry and I have heavy clay (under the aged manure).

Linda

[bigpinks]

really not sure about the taste but BC just did too poorly to matter. I do like the CC but honestly, I give most away.

[marc_groleau]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

siletz ,,,cherokee purple,,,rutgers,,,black cherry ,, box car willie

Winners, every one of them. All of these will be in my garden again this season except for Boxcar Willy. The only reason Boxcar Willy isn't back this year is because I've grown it for 3 seasons now. Although it's tasty and productive, I need room to try some other varieties. Boxcar Willy has had a nice run in my garden. It will most likely be back

You should enjoy all of the above. I don't think I will ever not grow Cherokee Purple


Rutgers was absolutely great for production and taste. The fruit is perfect with no cracking.

Black Cherry is a staple in my garden.

Siletz was in my garden for the first time last season and it's coming back again. For an early variety, it has a really nice taste. At least it gets you through the early part of summer until the big guys start coming in.

Good luck

.

[marc_groleau]

Originally Posted by lexusnexus

Nice looking tomato garden! When I mentioned your quantity of tomato sauces Maria (my partner) rolled her eyes and indicated that won't be happening here. Although, she is looking forward to having some tomatoes to eat and cook with.

Dan

I recently made a nice thick sauce using some of my frozen tomato juice and a roux. It came out really nice and thick and took no boiling down whatsoever. Just heat up a pot of tomato squeezing a, mix up a roux of flour and oil or butter in another pan. Take about 3 cups of the hot juice; combine with the roux in a food processor or blender. Blend this mixture back into the simmering pot of juice and stir until thickened. Add your favorite tomato sauce ingredients and you've got a great, thick sauce for dinner or canning/freezing.

[marc_groleau]

Finally! This is one of those weekends you look forward to all winter long. Started roughly 1350 seeds of the varieties on my list above.
Last year I sowed about 900 seeds and got 700 plants.
Can't wait to see the germination rate this year.